Police officers with patrolling duties are exposed to physically demanding situations on a regular basis, which puts a high demand on their physical abilities and condition. Police officers are regularly forced to make quick decisions in complex tactical situations which in some cases mean physical confrontation. Throughout the procedure to become a Swedish Police Officer, there are tests that measure the physical condition of future police officers from the day they are recruited, until they leave the school. Then, however, the testing stops.

Therefore, the majority of the physical training throughout the career of a police officer is carried out on their own initiative, and in their spare time. But what do the individual officers think about their physical condition and resilience in relation to everyday work? Studies have shown that police officers who often think about the risk of being injured during interventions, or the dangers associated with their work, experience more stress than other police officers. The knowledge on how to increase the safety and security for police officers in situations where violence may occur, which should contribute to greater room for action in situations is scarce. The aim of the present investigation is to increase our understanding and fill a knowledge gap for the police officers resilience in with regards to physical confrontation on duty within the Swedish Police conflict management training program (POLKON).

The studie is based on a qualitative method using semi-structured interviews among Swedish police officers. The respondents have answered questions regarding their view on physical sustainability in relation to their work. Thematic analysis has been conducted and a number of themes have been generated which will be presented.